Dead Past
by Crescent Zenith
Summary: Tenements of the poor are spread far yet are squashed haphazardly together, it is within it bowls that twins brother and sister must fight to survive in the failing poverty of their lives.


This is a story I've had on my computer for a while and figured that since I hadn't updated for a really long time that one was long overdue; although this isn't an addition to my other story it has it's importance to me. So I'm posting it here to test it out and see if anyone likes it, if enough people do then I'll create a storyline around it and continue it. Then on the other hand if not then I just let it remain as a one shot posting. --

**Dead Past**

Prologue

I had wanted to leave this world despite all that had been going so well for me, there was no longer anything here for me to feel alive. Putting up the facade to make you all feel as if all was well was all that I could do while I tore myself to pieces inside. There is nothing now that I could possibly want more than to be left alone. Part of my mind longed for death as a way to resume my way of living in an off sort of way, that is if there really was an afterlife or I was lied to as a child, something that I would find completely believable as depressing as that may sound. Turning away from the people that I had once held dear I walked away from them without a second thought; not a single stray thought of doubt lingering. Even after spending all these years with them I still found it sickeningly easy to detach myself from them. Without any doubt I still feel a form of attachment to those people I chose to leave behind as a means to better myself. My mind cannot understand why it is that I feel this way and thus I do not question it I simply let it be a part of my meaningless existence in this world. We all need our background stories don't we? At least it was something that I had heard as being something that we should hold onto when we move on.

That old world is behind me now, long behind me nothing can follow me as far as I have traveled as a means to start anew in this strange place in which I have stopped for the time being. As a passerby I watch fathers return home to their families after a long days work greeting each member warmly. I admit it is something that I envy for I never had the chance to experience such warmth in my childhood and so I find that I am unable to express such emotions. Though as I continue to look on from a distance I know that these families are not as perfect as they may seem from the outside, I should know that better than anyone. I do not wish to relive my past but I also feel that in order to allow you to come closer to understanding my form of logic you should know about it. Ignore any profane words I may use to express my dislike to the times, it is something that I simply cannot suppress any longer. Now without any further distraction...

Chapter 1

**Bargaining with the Devil**

"Ora, Ori! Get over here right now!" The angry voice belonged to a heavyset woman standing over a hot stove. The said persons, being twin brother and sister came rushing into the dreadfully small kitchen, their filthy faces smiling despite their mother's exasperated tone. "What are you two waiting for I ain't goin' to be pouring your soup into your hands, it makes too much of a mess. Go grab bowls." Instantly they rushed over to sink wasting no time digging up two fairly clean bowls and stood side by side next to the stove awaiting their dinner. Eying them both the woman poured the thick broth into their bowls, the children didn't so much as twitch with obvious excitement that they possessed for finally being able to partake of a meal. She turned back to the stove, the two children served yet they stayed perfectly still, a practiced habit. "Go and sit down now." she commanded flicking her hand away from her towards a decrepit old table at the other end of the room. Falling out of line the twin siblings took their seats at the table hastily consuming their first meal in days. They didn't blame their mother for the lack of food in the apartment, at least not openly, they knew that their mother would scold them harshly if she ever heard what they said about her behind her back. Taking note but not looking up as their mother opened and closed the poor yet working fridge and left the room.

Their mother could barely hold onto a single job and it wasn't because of the two _wretches_ she had at home as she claimed for they knew the true reason. Ever since they had been small the two children had learned quickly about the world in which they lived and part of the reason as to why. Their mother was a drunk, it was a rare occasion in itself to ever find her sober, their father was more of a mystery for he didn't hang around much so they simply acted as though he didn't exist unless he just so happened to bring with him a peace offering; food. With their mother being as she was it was a wonder that he children were even alive. It was thanks to a temporary neighbor who had watched after them when they were first born, back when their mother wasn't a good-for-nothing drunk. Unfortunately shortly after the first anniversary of their birth the good neighbor ceased to exist, that's when their mother claimed that their father finally decided to step in; something that the twins found to be rather hard to believe seeing as how things went.

It wasn't long before the sound of spoons coming upon empty bowls rang in the kitchen, their mother absent from the the room meant the possibility of another helping and their nearly empty stomachs weren't about to pass up the opportunity of more food. Ora peeked out the two entrances to the kitchen for any sign that their mother was coming back. Giving her brother a signal for the all clear he pushed a crate up to the stove and climbed on top with no sign of hesitation in his movements, reaching over the stove top to the back range where their mother had put the pot. While he tended to the task of getting the pot his sister Ora continued to dash back and forth from entryway to entryway to ensure the coming of another meal. Footsteps echoed from Ora's post at the portal bringing forth a hiss from bared teeth while turning to see if her brother caught on to the urgency. He hadn't missed a beat, he had jerked in the process of pulling the heavy pot off the stove top grazing his arm on one of he burners his mother had left on intentionally for that very purpose. Again Ora hissed only this time it was more rushed as she came towards him to assist him as best she could.

Ori grit his teeth biting back the pain in his arm and pulled the pan the rest of the way off the stove with the help of Ora. The two of them rushed through the other entryway pot in hand and ran out the front door and out into the hall. From behind them they could clearly hear their mother shouting as she came closer to the door in a fit of drunken rage. Their bare feet scampered down the hall and up flights of stairs that they dared not count on their way up to the roof only stopping once they could no longer hear their mother's threatening rants. Having almost been caught meant that there was no way of them returning home tonight, nothing new they would just have to huddle in the hall on the top floor for the night and wait out until they were sure that their mother was completely passed out otherwise she would be sure to exact her vengeance on the body in closest proximity to her half conscious or fully conscious it made no difference. Placing the pot down on the cold cement rooftop the twin siblings finally took a moment to catch their breath, each exhale resulting in a puff of vapor in the chilling air that stung their overly exposed skin through thin ragged clothing.

Ori took this time to examine the harm done to his arm seeing as he hadn't had the chance to do so earlier due to the quick escape that had to be made. It looked worse than it felt, the burned skin had already scabbed over the blackened spot with a thin plastic looking layer. Out of a small sense of curiosity that rarely took hold of him he gingerly allowed a finger to run over it and grimaced, from the corner of his eye he noticed his sister watching him and hid his forearm from view. "What'd you do to your arm Ori?" she asked, a concerned frown on her grubby face her pale blue eyes demanding nothing but the truth.

"Nothing." he murmured while avoiding her gaze. His actions being a clear indication to her that something was wrong she reached over him and took his arm in her hands, she could see him doing his best to hold back a yelp building up in his throat as she did so. Cautiously she fingered the wound keeping an eye on his countenance all the while, their minds temporarily distracted from their stomachs' growling. Ripping off a piece of fabric from her clothing with her teeth she buried it in some water that had collected on the the roof from the night before before bringing it up to her brother's burn.

"It won't do much but hopefully keep it from getting too dirty." she mumbled as she tied the cloth with a firm but gentle hand. Ori swallowed hard as Ora tied the final knot on the makeshift bandage. Turning away from her brother for a moment while he nursed his arm she tended to the pot they had spirited away from their apartment while remaining in relatively one piece. Cautiously she stuck a finger into the liquid, upon feeling no real urgency to pull it out she lifted her finger from the pot and turned to her brother and brought it to his lips; she let him suck on it for a moment before requesting for her finger to be released. Without further question the two shared the remaining contents of the pot savoring every last bite, treating it as if it were to be their very last. They each made sure that their portions were the same wanting to ensure each that the other would survive to the next day so long as the other did; by no means did they ever want to be apart especially in this cruel world in which they were born into that they had no say in in the first place.

Thank you for reading this through!

If you liked it at all please message me and tell me so I know you want me to continue, if you didn't like feel free to tell me why.


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